We've had two coyote sightings in the last few days in the immediate neighborhood.
I think I'm going to have to upgrade my daily carry; not sure 9mm's going to cut it.
Daisy, the official dog of Paco Enterprises, is a 65-lb beast, part boxer, part pitbull, and aggressively disdainful toward most creatures that are not part of her "pack" (i.e., Mrs. Paco, Maggie and I) so I imagine she could hold her own; however, a lot of people in the neighborhood have lap dogs that a coyote could snap up like a dog biscuit. The neighbors might want to consider one of these.
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Coyotes in North Carolina? Aren't they a western thing?
ReplyDeleteI've seen coyotes in Los Angeles in daylight and at night.They are all across the USA. The Eastern Coyote is larger.
DeleteI know nothing of armaments but I would bet 10 dollars that a 9 mm bullet would kill a coyote. I've seen them before. They're not very big.
ReplyDeleteCanis Rufus (Red) is native to the area:
ReplyDeletehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_wolf
I seem to recall a news story about ex-Texas Governor Rick perry who encountered a coyote while on his daily run. He reportedly dispatched it with a .380 round from a Ruger LCP.
ReplyDeleteCoyotes used to be a western thing, but they are so adaptable they are now practically everywhere (there were some sightings in my old neighborhood in Virginia, too). Red wolves are also present in NC, as Bruce points out.
ReplyDeleteI'm really just looking for an excuse to carry my Ruger Vaquero with the bird's head grip (chambered in .45 Long colt).
Some counties in NC actually offer bounties for coyotes.
ReplyDeleteThere are coyotes in my hometown in Ohio. Have a care for Daisy, Paco. She may be big and aggressive, but a pack of coyotes could pull her down.
ReplyDeleteIt's a mistake to offer bounties for coyotes. They keep the rodent population in check, and if you get rid of them, you'll have a massive rodent problem on your hands.
I agree with both points. Packs will call out a dog and then kill it. Bounties are wrong. Not only do they keep rodent populations down, but rabbits too.
DeleteI lived in central Arizona for many years. They would kill coyotes then complain about the rabbits.
My sister lives below Griffith Park in LA and has two Boston Terriers. She's seen coyotes while walking them and has taken to carrying pepper spray. Not being a celebrity or politician, that's the greatest level of legal protection she has available.
ReplyDeleteCoyotes aren't much of a problem here in SE Washington -- they did a nice job of cutting back on the feral cat population. But they do take down dogs, sheep, and other similar animals. And coyotes have been known to attack people, although that's rare.
ReplyDeleteNo, our bigger problems are the gray wolves and mountain lions, which are increasing in numbers and boldness. Wolves are reported in the nearby mountains, and cougars down in the lowlands. The wolves are VERY aggressive, lots of livestock kills, and one hiker was treed by a pack not so long ago. Cougars are aggressive as well, but they don't run in packs. One hiker in Oregon was killed by a cougar last summer.
My normal carry should scare off wolves and lions -- not so sure about STOPPING them, except at vital points. I'd need a rifle, otherwise.
Of course, the greenies want to reintroduce grizzly. Imagine that.
Feral cats keep the rodent and rabbit population down. Neuter and release is a much better solution. Many ferals can be domesticated with a little patience and put up for adoption.
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